Beautiful Music
by PoeticLover1996
Summary: They were one and the same, these two. Sure, they had their differences, but they came together in perfect harmony. Two pieces of the same puzzle, they were now complete.


"Beautiful Music"

Written by PoeticLover1996

Disclaimer: I don't own Shadow or Sally. They each belong to their respective owners.

A/N: So, it really hit me that there aren't a whole lot of Shadow/Sally stories, so I took it upon myself to make a one-shot staring these two. Hope you enjoy it!

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Sally silently sat beneath a large tree, enjoying the cool shade it offered her. A lazy breeze blew through her hair, absently playing with its auburn strands. Sapphire-blue eyes gazed up at the bright-blue sky that hung high above her head, watching avidly at the puffy, white clouds that seemed to change shapes before her very eyes. A smile graced her lovely face as her mind drifted to this and that before finally resting on an ebony hedgehog who seemed to inhabit her mind more and more with each passing day.

She couldn't quite understand what exactly was about Shadow that fascinated her. To others, he was cold and distant, a loner with the heart of a cold-blooded killer, but to her, he was more than that, better than that. He suffered the loss of a friend near and dear to him. He suffered the humiliation of not knowing who he was, of being manipulated by those who thought him to be nothing more than a weapon of mass destruction. He was a soldier, a survivor with the heart of someone who had been through a lot, who had done a lot of things, be them good or bad, but overcame every obstacle ever thrown their way and learned from past mistakes.

Sally thought Shadow was someone to be admired, not despised. He deserved to be praised and hailed as a hero, not labeled as some freak of nature or a bloodthirsty psychopath. He handled such hate well, though it wasn't nearly as bad as it once had been in the past from what Rouge told her. She told her it used to be worse, that people would come up to him calling him a freak, a murderer, and pelt him with trash. The only reason why people stopped was because Sonic and his friends intervened. They valiantly defended him, reminding everyone of all the good Shadow had done and that everyone deserved a second chance. They stood by their friend, their team member, and showed Shadow the beauty that was friendship.

Sally, while she didn't know Shadow too well, she knew enough to know that he was a wonderful person. So what if he was sometimes closed off? So what if he sometimes would rather keep to himself than hang with the others? Everyone was entitled to their privacy; he had his own life to live, his own destiny to carve. With all the hell and horror he's been put through, Sally thought he was more than entitled to a little time to himself.

Maybe that was why she was so attracted to Shadow. He certainly was different from any guy she'd ever met, Sonic included. She found herself comparing the two; while Sonic was loud and cocky, Shadow was quiet and modest. While Sonic could be very impulsive and thoughtless, Shadow was sensible and practical, thinking things through before he did anything.

Now, she wasn't putting Sonic down or anything like that. She thought highly of her best friend and admired his unwavering bravery and confidence in even the most dire of situations. However, he was a bit too childish for her liking. He was perfect for Amy, though. They balanced each other off nicely. Both were sweet and a bit immature. They strongly believed in the good in people and were very idealistic. They were made for each other, and God forbid anyone or anything for tearing apart such love.

Unbeknownst to Sally, she was being watched by no other than the hedgehog who recently took vacancy in her mind. Standing a good distance away from her, Shadow the Hedgehog watched her. He didn't know why he was watching her; he had other things he could be doing, but something about her, he couldn't explain what exactly, was compelling to him. Could it be how her hair, a deep, auburn color, framed her face, falling past her shoulders in curls? Maybe it was her eyes, how they looked like an ocean of sapphire. How he longed to plunge beneath their depths and see what lied beyond the surface of the water.

Sally was different from any girl he hung around. None of the other girls made him feel weak in the knees like she did. He didn't feel attracted to any of the other girls, though they were each pretty in their own way. Sally simply stood out to him. She was strong, fierce, loyal, and dependable. She was realistic and saw life as it was and preferred to look at the black and white rather than the gray in the middle.

What he really enjoyed about Sally was how she didn't judge him. He knew she was highly aware of his past and all of the horrible things he had done, but she didn't care. She didn't put him down or call him awful names; she accepted all of him, the good and the bad, and diligently stood by his side. She really was a true-blue friend. Gracefully, Shadow jumped from the tree branch and silently made his way towards her. As he silently made his way towards her, he felt his heartbeat speed up, but he chose to ignore it. What did he have to be nervous about?

Sally heard movement behind her and hopped up, taking a fighting stance. Her eyes landed on her "attacker" and widened.

_Shadow? When did he get here? What a minute, _WHY_ was he here?_ Shadow now stood in front of her, eyes resting on her. He noticed her fighting stance, and a smirk made its way on his face.

"Why the fighting stance, Princess? I'm no threat to you," said Shadow. Sally looked, blushing in mild embarrassment. "Princess" was the nickname Shadow had given her, on account of her being a princess.

"Yeah, well how was I supposed to know that? Anyways, how did you know I was even here?" Sally asked, her eyes finding his once again as she stared at him with mild curiosity.

"Rose told me," was all he said. Sally smiled warmly and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course Amy told him. She knew how she felt about him and was constantly trying to pair them up. Sonic told her not to meddle in others' love lives, but Amy, ever the stubborn one, refused to listen, not that Sally minded. Amy was pretty much an expert in the field, and Sally appreciated her friend's efforts to help her find love, even if she went over the top sometimes.

"Well, that's Amy for you. I should've figured she'd have told you my whereabouts," she said, softly shaking her head. Shadow reached forward and gently brushed them out of her face, causing her body to stiffen, then relax again. He himself didn't know what came over him, what caused him to do such a thing. He simply felt like doing it, so he did. It was silent between them, save for the sound of their breathing. They were waiting for the other to do something, but they hesitated, for whatever they did could forever change the relationship between them.

Sally, with her heart hammering fiercely against her ribs, decided to act. Slowly, giving Shadow plenty of room to move out of the way, walked closer to him so that they were now chest to chest. Carefully, she wrapped her arms around him, enveloping him in a sweet embrace. She rested her face in the white fur of his chest, breathing in his scent. He smelled nice, like the outdoors did just after it rained and something that was purely Shadow.

Shadow was caught off-guard by her boldness, his own heart racing. Usually, he would've protested at someone daring to be so close to him, but she was an exception. Her closeness, her presence, felt welcoming. The way her body molded against his was pleasant. So, taking a deep breath, he hugged her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her small waist. He rested his head on top of hers and decided to enjoy the feeling of having the person he cared about near him, within his grasp. He knew that he wouldn't, no, he _couldn't_ let her go now, not after he had a taste of this heady feeling. Judging by the way she pressed herself against him and how tight her arms were wrapped around him, he knew she felt the same.

She was his, and no other's; he'd be damned if he allowed her to slip through his fingers. He already lost someone he cared about; he refused to let the same thing happen again.

_No matter what, I'll always protect you, Sally. I promise,_ Shadow silently vowed, snuggling deeper into the warmth of her embrace.

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Was it good, bad? Sorry if Shadow seemed a bit out of character. I hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Anyways, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed; flames are not. Until next time!


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